Elfen Lied: A Second Chance
by Haru Glory
Summary: Kouta dies. A mysterious force resurects him...7 years earlier. Find out what Kouta does to change the fate of the ones he loves. RE-MADE!
1. Prologue

**AUTHORS PRE-NOTE!**

Due to hate mail (courtesy of disgruntled fans) and and Hamster Ninjas in pink jumpsuits wielding banana katanas and throwing rice trying to assassinate me (I'm thinking Dylan Hooper is responsible for those) I am re writing Elfen Lied: A Second Chance.

I will NOT however, make the same mistakes this time as I made in my last story. Things also will not go the same way this time, things will change from the previous installment to prevent monotony.

PLEASE REVIEW PEOPLE! I TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY!

Now, without further ado: BEGIN

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**Theme**

_Fight the fight alone,_

_When the world is full of victims._

_Dims a fading light, in our souls._

_Leave the peace alone,_

_now we all are slowly changing._

_Dims a fading light in our souls._

_In my opinion: Seeing is to know._

_The things we hold are always first to go._

_And who's to say we won't end up alone?_

_On Broken Wings, I'm falling, and it won't be long._

_The skin on me is burning by the fires of the sun._

_On skinned knees I'm bleeding, and it won't be long._

_I've gotta find that meaning, and I'll search for so long._

_**Chapter 1: A Second Beginning.**_

"It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance. It is the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance. It is the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give. And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live." -Bette Midler

She was bleeding. The wound on her head from the broken horn because of Mariko's assault on her, was still bleeding. It was the first thing that he had noticed.

"You're hurt." He said with concern.

She looked solemnly at him, "It's nothing." Was all she replied as she sat down.

Sitting on the stone staircase that they had been so few times before. He listened. Listened to her tell him how sorry she was, how she survived hell, just to come back to see him once more.

To bear him her heart for what she had done to him. Not even expecting to be forgiven, she just wanted to tell him.

He listened to her as sobs racked her body.

Kouta didn't know what to do.

One part of his heart was screaming. Screaming to tell her the pain that she had caused him. The loss...the murder...of his little sister and father, but...

The other side of his heart knew why. Rejected, hated, feared, tortured, and ultimately unloved.

He knew this was her. The life that Lucy has led from as far as she could remember. He could only imagine the pain that he had caused her when she saw him standing with Yuka at the festival. The cousin that he lied about, right to her face, and said was a boy.

He knew that she would be hurt when she found out, but at the time, the lack of age, and the want to keep his pretty pink haired friend smiling, had led him to decide that telling her the truth was a bad idea.

He knew how much she hurt. How much her heart was torn when she thought that the only person that ever truly loved her, ever truly cared, betrayed her.

Kouta could not help but wonder: Was it his fault? Was the hell that she went through, all because he couldn't tell her the truth?

Lucy had finished her explanation to Kouta. On what she was, what she could do. How she could make it to where the majority of babies that are born are Dicloni, instead of human.

And how she had to die.

She stood up and began to walk away after saying a final goodbye. She began to walk away, when the pain in Kouta's heart surged. The silent guilt overtook him, the guilt and his love for the pink haired Diclonius.

"Don't go!" He cried. He jumped up and threw his arms around her, "Please, don't go..."

She had a look of surprise on her face...she didn't know how to react, "But Kouta...I killed your family..."

"I know!" He interjected, "I..I can't explain it. I..I can't forgive what you did to my father and my sister...I don't think that I ever can."

Lucy cringed upon hearing that.

"But...I still love that sad little girl I met in the mountains all those years ago, and Nyu too..."

Lucy had placed her hands on top of his and let her head drop, "Kouta..."

She turned around to face the man that loved her. The man that she had hurt more than anyone else on the planet, and the only one to still wanted her. She placed her hand tenderly on his cheek, "Kouta...thank you. You were a beautiful dream, in a hellish nightmare. I'll always cherish the memories that we shared." She stepped closer to him and pulled herself closer to him. She looked into his tear-filled eyes. She realised that those tears, for the most part, were FOR her, not BECAUSE of her. She pulled him closer, and she met his lips with hers.

Right. That's all she could think. This moment. This feeling of bliss as she felt her love for him returned to her through the kiss that they shared. It felt right.

The moment seemed to last only for a second, but at the same time, it lasted an eternity.

She pulled away, and let go. She had no choice.

She couldn't let him go to face the fate that she knew awaited her. She just couldn't let his life be over because of her.

He stood there in silence and watched her go.

He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do.

All he knew, was that this would, more than likely be the last time he would see her. The last time he would see Nyu.

As Kouta was standing there going through the many thoughts in his head, trying to sort them out, Lucy had gone. She had gone to face the soldiers that were trying to find and kill her. She would not let Kouta's life be in danger anymore because of what she was.

Kouta came to his senses. He could not let her leave. He could not and WOULD not let her die for what she was.

Kouta took off running. Not away, but toward Lucy. He couldn't let it end like this. She wasn't the monster that everyone tried to label her as. Humans...if anyone, should be labeled monsters, it was the humans that treated her so horribly.

Kouta ran as hard as he could. He could see the lights from the military vehicles that they had brought to ensure the killing of the Dilconius Queen.

"Ready..." he heard the man shout.

Kouta picked up his pace, he ran harder top get closer to her, to tell her not to throw her life away.

"AIM..."

"NO!" Kouta screamed. He had to make it.

Lucy turned to meet the voice, the look of utter shock on her face was impossible to cover as she saw Kouta running toward her, but surprise turned to fear. Fear that paralysed her.

"FIRE!" The hail of bullets started just as Kouta reached Lucy.

Kouta, in a protective surge of emotion, grabbed Lucy and wrapped his arms protectively around her, turning his back to the oncoming assault. Lucy was terrified. Terrified for Kouta's life.

Lucy used every ounce of will she possessed to use her vectors to protect Kouta.

The onslaught of bullet's, however, proved to be much more than she could handle to stop, not having both horns made using vectors difficult, but to stop a hail of bullets, at her current power level, was impossible. She was simply incapable. The terror in her heart surged to new heights as she saw the bullets tearing through Kouta's back and her ears picked up his cries of pain.

The hail of fire stopped as the soldiers seen that they were not hitting the intended target.

They started shouting and orders could be heard over. Kouta slowly slid down her body, unable to hold himself up, any longer.

Lucy fell to her knees and rested Kouta's head on her shoulder. Tears fell freely from her eyes and slowly fell on to Kouta's back.

"Lucy…..run…get outta here." Kouta breathed.

Lucy couldn't move, she couldn't speak. She could hardly even breathe. Kouta was dying. Kouta was dying because he was trying to save her.

Kouta realized that she wasn't going to move. She was to much in shock because of what Kouta had done.

The problem is….he couldn't hold on. He felt life slipping away from his grasp as the pained face of Lucy watched.

"Kouta…" she said

"Kouta, don't you die on me. Kouta!" Lucy shouted.

Kouta gave her a soft smile, "I wish…that I could do it all over. Just so you could be happy again. Just to see you smile."

Lucy pulled beck and met her eyes with that of Kouta. She watched the light in Kouta's eyes sloly dim and fade.

"Kouta! NO! Please!" She cried.

The only thing that she could do was fall into his chest and cry. She listened as the beat of his heart crawled to a stop.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()())()()()()(()()

Kouta didn't know where he was. It was dark.

"Is this…..death? He asked himself.

He looked around, and saw a light. The light made him feel a warmth that was somehow….familiar.

He began to float into it…..the only thing that he could hear in his head was "Your selfless wish is granted."

**Aaand cut. Different this time. More of a connection between Kouta and Lucy. DONT YELL AT ME FOR INCONSISTANCIES BETWEEN MY STORY AND THE ANIME/MANGA! I have never read the Manga anyway. **

**Well maybe the hate mail will stop now, and please, stop with the hamster ninjas **

**Haru Glory.**


	2. The Second Chance

Theme Song

_Fight the fight alone._

_When the world is full of victims._

_Dims the fading light in our souls._

_Leave the peace alone._

_How we all are slowly changing._

_Dims the fading light in our souls._

_In my opinion, seeing is to know._

_The things we hold are always first to go._

_And who's to say we won't end up alone._

_On Broken Wings I'm falling and it won't be long,_

_The kin on me is burning by the fires of the sun._

_On skinned knees, I'm bleeding, and it won't be long._

_I've gotta find that meaning, and I'll search for so long._

Chapter 2: The Chance of two lifetimes.

"**I am here again, in a familiar place feeling something I've felt before, wondering why it's still here, why I didn't deal with it more fully before. But I'm glad I have a second chance at it ... and I know that if I need a third chance, I'll get it. I also know that if it comes up again, I'll recognize it sooner and deal with it more readily. This is growth. And, I am happy to be alive."**

-Jan Denise 

Kouta was floating in a sea of white.

He felt nothing.

He tasted nothing.

He saw nothing but white.

But he heard.

Heard the voice.

"Your selfless wish is granted."

After that, Kouta was assailed by a flash of bright light, and felt his body dissolving.

"Kouta"

Who?

Who was calling his name?

It's dark.

So dark.

But he heard, noneheless.

But could not seem to find the strength to open his eyes.

"Where am I?" He asked himself, "and why do I feel so peaceful?"

He heard his name being called.

But the voice…

The voice haunted him.

He knew it.

He would forever remember the voice.

The voice of that little girl, that he lost, so many years ago. His baby sister.

Kanae.

"Kouta, wake up!"

He heard the echoing voice. The voice seemed so close, yet felt so far away.

He wanted to go. To find the source of that voice. To hold the innocent girl that was taken from him by….fate?

Lucy?

His own stupidity?

Kouta remembered his last words to his little sister.

" …or I'll hate you forever!" He exclaimed to her.

Kouta's world was then filled with light and he felt his body move.

Wait.

He was moving. He could move. He could open his eyes.

The first thing he saw, was his little sister, looking at him through tear filled eyes.

"I'm sorry big brother, you can go back to sleep, don't hate me." She sobbed.

Kouta's heart shattered. What was going on? Why was his sister crying?

Why was his sister even there?

Kouta reached out to touch her.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. She was real.

Kouta, for a minute, was numb with surprise, however; it quickly subsided for a flurry of other emotions, a bombardment of feelings and emotions that Kouta could not sort through at the time.

He simply reacted, and did the thing that he always promised himself that he would do if he ever got the chance.

He quickly pulled her into him and held her tight. He buried his head in her hair, and began to cry.

"Big brother, what's wrong?" Kanae inquired

He couldn't speak, but even if he could, there was no way to put into words how he felt. The regret. The guilt. The agony.

He couldn't put all of that into words.

Kanae had embraced her sobbing brother as best she could. She was confused at her brother's actions, but decided that she would try and make him feel better.

"I'm so sorry, Kanae. I'm the worst big brother ever! I'm so sorry." Was all Kouta could choke out.

Kanae pulled away from her little brother. She looked up into his tear-filled eyes and smiled.

"It's okay big brother, I forgive you!"

Kouta simply stared at his little sister.

'I forgive you.'

Those words.

He has been longing to hear those words out of his little sisters mouth, for so long.

Even when he couldn't remember.

There was still a feeling of…responsibility. A feeling of guilt, for his sister's death. 

Now….somehow. He feels forgiven.

Was she talking about the same thing he was crying for?

Was this even real?

Kouta didn't care. It didn't have to be real. All that he cared about, is the fact that, his little sister is standing in front of him, with the cutest smile on her face.

A smile that was taken away from Kouta, so long ago.

He held his sister again. This time without the tears. The sobs. The painful emotions.

Just love. Love for the little sister that had never truly known how much she meant to her stupid big brother.

"Well, isn't this a cute moment? Wish I had my camera!"

Kouta turned to see where the voice is coming from.

"Father! Kouta's awake now! He was being grumpy, but I fixed him" Said an excited Kanae.

Kouta looked in surprise at the man standing in the door way, catching his little sister and lifting her up on to his shoulders as she ran to him.

"Father…" Kouta whispered.

Kouta's father looked at him, "Well, look who has finally joined the ranks of the living! Welcome, Kouta of Mars! We are earthlings! Do you come in peace?

Kouta stared at his father. Kouta remembered his fathers humor. It always made him laugh.

It still did.

Kouta was beyond shock. He couldn't explain any of this. He figured that he would sort all of this out later. That whatever was going on, could be thought about on a later date, and he could enjoy the time he had now.

Kouta ran up to his father and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Hey there, buddy. Good to see you too!

Kouta held on to his father will all of his might..

"What's wrong, Kouta? Did you have a bad dream?" his father asked him.

Kouta couldn't think of another thing to call it.

'Nightmare' seemed to describe what he had endured in his life.

Kouta nodded his head.

"It was horrible! I couldn't wake up! So many bad things were happening!" Kouta cried, "and the worst part is, I think that it was my fault…"

Kouta's father chuckled, "Well, now you've woken up. It's all better now."

Kouta wasn't so sure about that, but right now he wasn't going to disagree.

"Let's go get some food! Food always helps!" His father declared.

Kouta laughed.

Even in all of this confusion, Kouta could still be made to laugh by his father's jokes and personality.

Kanae and Kouta's father began to walk down the stairs.

"Kanae and I will get breakfast, you just get dressed and come on down."

Kouta nodded.

Kouta's father and Kanae left the upstairs, he decided that now was the best time to think about things.

He looked around.

The walls were a bright wooden color, with purple drapes on the windows. They were the favorite of Kanae's. She loved the color purple.

Kouta walked up to the mirror, and took a look at himself.

He was about to yell in surprise. He was a KID again!

He looked to be about nine! Kouta caught his breath and steadied himself.

"What happened? What's going on here?"

Kouta began to feel dizzy. The room began to spin and he closed his eyes to steady himself.

As he opened his eyes again, the world around him was pure black, with a bright glow in front of him.

"**You are…confused."**

"Who…are you?"

"**I am the one who laid your soul to rest. I am also the one who gave you this gift. I control the dead. I bury them in the Valley of Death, I also permit certain individuals to rise out of their tomb, to live again. To you I have granted such a boon." **

"But…why me? What do you want from me?

"You question?"

"No! No, I don't! I'm just confused! That's all!"

"I am giving you a second chance at life, in return, I ask that do the things I ask of you in this life. What more is there to know?"

Kouta ponered this for a minute, until he had one final question…

"What about Lucy? Is she here too?

"Hm? The Diclonius girl? You do not wish to avoid her? After all of the pain and suffering she caused you in your past life?"

Kouta stood, firmly resolved. "What she did, wasn't her fault! It was humanity! The people that totrtured her and belittled her and hated her! I'm will NOT let this chance be used, to just make me happy! She can be saved as well! She deserves to be happy too!"

"Very well, young Kouta. Time is as it was when you were nine. You are two days away from the day that had changed your life. You will have the chance you seek."

Kouta now understood what he had to do. Whomever this mysterioius deity is, he is giving Kouta the one thing that Kouta could use the most. A second chance to make things better.

A second Chance at life.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Well, it's done. Finally. This is a slow start, I know, I'm just trying to build momentum.

I'm sorry for the long wait., but I have lacking in inspiration. Reviews help. Keep them coming.

I have been writing Sailor Moon stories, but I don't' get near the reviews I get for this, so I think that my Sailor Moon stories are gonna be on hold for a while.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Preview:

Kouta is bound and determined to change the past. However, what does he do when he realizes that some things he can't control?

Find out in Chapter 3- The Road to Hell.

The Road to Hell is paved with good intentions.


	3. The Road to Hell

Chapter 3: Road to Hell

Kouta awoke early the next morning with the best feeling in his heart. He took time the previous day to really come to terms. With life as it was, as it is, and how it possibly could be, and how he could make it into a world that didn't have the pain and suffering in it that the world of his previous life had.

He still felt odd saying that, his "previous life." He didn't know very many people that can say that they had more than one life; in fact, Kouta didn't think that he knew any.

The echoes of the words that belonged to the one who seems to be behind the second chance that has been given to Kouta ring in his ears, "You have two days…" Kouta said aloud, "That means one day remains."

Kouta wondered how he would find her again, he didn't want to wait until he met her in the first place, at that time the seeds of contempt had already been sown in Lucy's heart, he needed to find her before whatever hurt her so badly happened again. Kouta only had one option, he had to go to the spot that he met her first, up on that hill, and see if she was there today. It was a long shot, but it was the best that he had.

His father and little sister were still asleep and he didn't want his father to worry about him, so he left him a note: 'Father, went out adventuring, be back soon, Kouta.'

He knew that his father would just laugh and joke about the "adventuring spirit that his mother had." Kouta chuckled inwardly at the thought of his father saying that again. It had been so long since he had heard his father's soft laughter that came after that. Then, like it was rehearsed a thousand times, (which for as many times as it happened, it could very well be) Kanae would ask, "What's mommy like" and their father would get that far away look in his eyes, the look that made you realize, that as he was telling you these romantic stories, that made Kanae giggle and Kouta roll his eyes, he was reliving every moment of them, that he loved telling about their mother even more than they liked hearing about her.

After a few moments of reliving fond memories, Kouta walked out the door, and into the early morning.

It took him about a half hour to make it up to the hill where he met Lucy the first time. He knew that he would recognize her, not because of the pink hair, or the horns, but because he simply knew. He climbed the hill as fast as he could. Taking one step at a time, he finally made it to the top.

As Kouta crested the hill, he looked around. He couldn't help but admire such a beautiful view, the trees, and the flowers. He even saw the little cave that he and Lucy held out in while it was raining. As Kouta was admiring the view he felt a warm feeling on his leg, at first it was just warm, but he quickly realized that it was also getting wet, Kouta looked down to see a little brown dog, reliving itself on Kouta's leg.

"HEY! What do you think that you're doing you little runt!" In frustration, Kouta's foot lunged out at it. Connecting with the dog haphazardly, Kouta knew that he didn't really hurt it, but he DID scare it, and then ran off yelping, little did Kouta know that he had an audience. He looked up to see two girls walking up with pieces of bread in their hands, both looking at Kouta in shock. Kouta immediately recognized Lucy.

He smiled brightly at them, or at least at her, he didn't really care for whoever else was there. He briskly walked up to the Lucy, the girl with pink hair and horns, and put his arms on her shoulders, I found you!" was all that he could say. He realized that it must be stupid and weird, but he knew that he had found her a day early, a day before whatever tragedy befell her. Kouta soon realized, however that he was perhaps a little too…overbearing…

He suddenly felt two arms push him to the ground, he looked back up to see Lucy with her arms out and the other girl laughing at him, "Who do you think you are! Kicking that little puppy like that!"

Kouta looked at her dumbfounded. "I hate boys," continued Lucy, "They're always such bullies!" Kouta quickly got up to his feet, "Wait wait wait! Hold up a second!" Kouta replied defensively, but Lucy and the other girl's glare at him was somehow….intimidating.

"Wait, hold on! I didn't mean to-"

"Liar!" Lucy said, "I saw you, you kicked my friend! He didn't do anything to you on purpose!"

Kouta took a deep breath, and looked at Lucy, "Look, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to do that. I just reacted. Can we please start over? I wanna be friends."

The pink haired child was taken aback by his sudden interest in befriending her. A part of her was warning her, screaming at her to stop, to run away from this obvious lie, but another part of her, a part deep inside of her, a part that she has yet to reach, made her want to trust him. Some deep sense of familiarity, a sense of…something that he could not yet define, made her want to say "alright"

The latter of the two parts won.

"Okay, fine. Let's be….friends." Something within Lucy tingled at saying that word. Something felt right, like a puzzle piece sliding into place, or stars aligning perfectly to make the constellations. Like it was something that was supposed to be. Lucy had no clue what this feeling was, but she wanted to explore it more. She needed to understand what this feeling was that she was having.

Kouta smiled at her, and began to extend his hand to her, when he was stopped.

"Wait!

The girl that was with Lucy had been largely ignored by Kouta because he didn't know her, and as far as he was concerned wasn't important, but she was making herself very well known now.

"He just kicked your puppy, and you're gonna be friends with him?"

Kouta looked offended, "I said I was sorry! I plan to make it up to her and the puppy too!"

Lucy looked at her acquaintance, "You see, he's obviously a little different, so it's okay. You're okay with me having more than just you as a friend, right?"

The girl looked angry for a moment, but the moment that Lucy left it up to the girl, he could see an evil look cross her face, even if just for a moment.

"No. I don't wanna be playing second place to a puppy kicker. If you wanna be friends with him, go right ahead, but if you do, we aren't friends anymore."

Lucy looked shocked, she didn't know what to do at all, but Kouta was quick to react.

"What kind of friend are you? A friend wouldn't make another friend choose between two people like that!"

The girl donned a very angry expression, " You know what fine, I see how it is! Lucy we aren't friends anymore."

Lucy's expression turned from confused to shocked then to hurt, "No wait, please! I want you to be my friend!"

"Then you have to tell this guy to go away!" the girl responded.

There was an uneasy silence. Lucy looked to Kouta and back to the girl. This girl was her first human friend. She was the only friend that she had at the orphanage… she couldn't ruin that, not even with the apology and the feeling that she had.

Lucy turned her back on Kouta, "Okay I've made my mind up, bye 'puppy kicker.'"

Kouta looked horrified, and the girl smirked at Kouta evilly, he looked at Lucy and saw her walking away, Kouta panicked, if he blew this, he might not get another chance see her again.

He ran after her and jumped in front of her, "Lucy! Please wait! I know that this might sound stupid but please, you have to believe me, I-"

"Wait! What did you call me?" Lucy asked.

Kouta stopped and looked quizzically, he was in such a panic, he didn't realize calling her name.

"Lucy…" He responded slowly.

"Umm, you have me confused for someone else don't you?" Lucy responded, hurt that the offerings of friendship that was given so warmly to her, was meant for someone else.

Kouta looked at her quizzically. What did she mean?

"What…?"

Lucy looked at him, trying as hard as she could to contain her disappointment, "My name isn't Lucy, my name is Kaede."

**Author's Note**

**AAAAAnd cut. I hope that you enjoy this chapter; this is my attempt to get back into the writing thing. I DO NOT HAVE A GOOD COMPUTER ACCESS! I am using my school cram computer, so until I can correct this problem, you won't be getting much of me after this class is over this term. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for reading. **

**Haru.**

_Preview: Kouta's mistake could cost him more than he can fix. Now he must think of a way to get back into the graces of the one person who he sacrificed his life for, but how is he going to do this in the week that he has? _

_Find out in the next chapter, Chapter 4: Forgiveness_

_Forgiveness is like gold, hard to obtain, and precious. _


	4. Forgiveness

Chapter 4: Forgiveness.

Kouta looked long and hard at the girl. He knew it was the right girl! He was certain! But...maybe things changed due to...whatever has happened to him. Kouta was having one million thoughts racing through his mind. All of these images of what could go wrong, why it went wrong, and who was to blame. All of these images culminated into one, and that was the sad and hurt face of the pink haired girl that he gave his life for.

"Well," She said, the sadness ringing in Kouta's ears like funeral bells, "I hope you find whoever it is you are looking for..."

She turned to walk away, but Kouta knew that he couldn't let her leave. He knew that if he failed here, then he will be too late to stop whatever event that will change her. "Please, wait!" He called after her.

That's when the girl she was with decided to open her mouth yet again, "Hey, look! She obviously doesn't want to be around you, puppy kicker, and this obviously isn't even the right person you're looking for because she doesn't even have the right name. So go find some other pink haired girl to hurt!"

Kouta was beginning to lose his patience with whomever this girl was. She was proving to be a very large monkey wrench in a very delicate plan. Nonetheless, he has to think quick. He needs to be able to show to Lucy or...Kaede, rather, that he wasn't mistaken and he was definitely not a bad person. But How?

'There must be some way to fix this' He thought to himself.

Wait...that's it!

"Okay. Fine, but first tell me: How many other pink haired girls can you point me to, huh?"

The girl was taken aback, and Kaede looked shocked.

"Honestly, If you are so sure that I was mistaken in the person I was talking to, tell me how many other pink haired girls that look like her are around here."

A mad expression crossed the face of the girl Kaede was with, and Kouta saw a small smile start to peek on the face of the young diclonius.

"You know what," The girl said, "I think that you are just a creep, trying to prey on weak girls!"

Kouta laughed at the feeble attempts of the girl to dishearten Kaede. He knew for sure now that whomever this girl was, she was certainly a part of Kaede's problem, and he planned to be rid of her as soon as he can. "Yeah, look at me, I'm such a predator. Rawr." Kouta said toward Kaede.

Kaede, laughed at Kouta's antics. 'Great!' Kouta thought to himself. 'She's laughing, that means I have a good shot!'

The girl turned to Kaede, "If you keep talking to him, I'll never be your friend! Ever!" She said angrily.

"Like you were to begin with!" Kouta shouted back, "I'll bet that you were just trying to pretend so that you could use her for something!"

"Use her!? What use could SHE be to anybody!?"

Both Kouta and the girl heard an audible gasp, and they both looked to Kaede. She was staring at the girl with tears welling up in her eyes.

The girl looked shocked. "I mean, er...Kaede wait!" Kaede took off running, and the puppy ran after her.

"Dammit! You stupid jerk!" She yelled at Kouta, "Do you see what you di-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Kouta's hand went sharply across her face.

"Shut up!" He yelled, "I know that you were just trying to hurt her! If you talk to her again, believe me, I'll make you regret it!" Kouta then took off after Kaede.

The girl stared angrily after Kouta as he ran after Kaede, holding her cheek. "I'm gonna make you pay! Somehow." She muttered. "Just you wait."

It took some time, but eventually Kouta caught up with Kaede.

She was sitting under a tree, holding her puppy close to her, as if he were the only friend that she had left.

Kouta walked into her field of vision, "Hey." He said nervously. He only had one shot at this, so he needed to make it count.

Kaede looked up at him, then looked back to her puppy. She didn't say anything.

Kouta was beginning to get worried. 'Why won't she talk to me?' '

Kouta decided to start the conversation, So, ummm, do you have a name for your dog?" He asked, desperately trying to get a hold of some form of conversation.

However, still, no answer.

Kouta was beginning to feel scared. His was his only chance...what if he blew it again...what if-

"I'm not really good at that..." She answered, "naming things. It's not something that I'm really good at."

Kouta smiled, "Well, I could help you. I'm kinda good at naming things. I mean, I've named a turtle or two, and I think I've come up with some pretty creative names to call my little sister.

"That's not nice!" Kaede exclaimed, but Kouta just smiled and held up his hands, "Maybe not, but she's got a few on me too, so we're even."

Kouta laughed, and after second, Kaede joined him.

Kouta was feeling good. 'Now,' he thought, 'I can make things right.

However, what that girl said echoes in his mind, 'I'm gonna make you pay. Somehow...'

**Okay. I'm back. I'm sorry I have been gone for so long, but life has been happening, and I've been struggling to keep up. I know that this chapter is a little short, and not my best. I'm trying to get my foot back into the door with this, as well try to get it going in a direction that I won't regret later. I'll get back into the groove of things. Just review and leave your thoughts. It's good to be back. **

_The girl swore vengeance, and she was going to have it. However, Kouta knows that if it's taken too far, the events with Kaede may happen all over again. If only he knew for sure what caused them to begin with. How will Kouta deal with this girls vindictive fury? _

_Chapter 5: Vengeance. _

_Vengeance is a brutal beast, not held by any cell. My wit is steel, my blade is wet, so sound the reapers bell..._


	5. Vengeance

Chapter 5: Vengeance.

A surging, seething, murmuring crowd of beings that are human only in name, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and of hate.

-Baroness Orczy

Kouta and Kaede sat by a large tree, in the shadow of a grand religious shrine. An orphanage sat in view beyond the foliage, and to the other direction, the wooded area covered the land.  
Kouta looked to his left at the pink haired girl sitting next to him, stroking the puppy. He didn't know what to do or say, he never really planned how this was going to play out, and any plan that he might have had was ruined because of that girl. Kouta fumed in anger thinking about that girl, thinking about how she had almost caused the ruination of his entire goal…and he was also thinking about how she swore her revenge.  
This left Kouta with one stinging question…how did this play out the first time? Kouta collected his thoughts, he needed to focus on the present, and in that present he had to get some kind of trust between the two. He needed to talk to her.  
"So, uhh…where do you live?" Kouta asked, attempting to break the silence. Kouta mentally slapped himself for such a stupid question, but he couldn't think of anything better off the top of his head.  
"I'm an orphan. I live with the others just over there." Kaede answered the question with a perplexed look, "Why?"  
He looked sheepish, and scratched the back of his head, he really didn't have a good answer for that question, "I dunno! I was just kinda making small talk!"  
She continued to stare down at her dog, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.  
Kouta was picking his brain! He needed to find some way to get her to open up to him, for him to become her friend, but she seemed to close herself off. He tried to recall what it was that brought them together to begin with, what was it that sparked conversation?

It was then that he remembered! The music box! She liked the song that came from the music box! All he would have to do is go and get it! He would set it down, open It up, the music would play, and that would be all he needed to get her to start talking! Kouta lept to his feet!  
"Stay here! I'll be right back! I've got something to show you!"  
Kaede looked at him quizzically, "O..kay.." she said slowly. Kouta took off running as fast as he could to his house. He knew it would be a long dash, however the distance left him undeterred from his goal.  
Kaede watched as he disappeared around the corner.

She sat where she was told, her thoughts running rampant. Who was this boy? Why was he not looking at her like some kind of freak? She looked into the direction he ran, and wondered if he really would be back.

"**Betrayed…"  
**The word blew like a gentle breeze though her mind.

"**She lied to you, that girl wasn't your friend at all…she was just trying to hurt you…just like him.."**

Kaede struggled to control the voice within her, "Why would he!? He doesn't seem to care about my horns! Besides, he PROTECTED ME from her! If it wasn't for him, she would have done something even worse…"

"**But why?"  
**"Why?" She whispered.

Kaede looked up in shock. She quickly looked around to see that she was no longer surrounded by sunshine, but the faint light of the setting sun. Hours had passed in a matter of seconds to her. Had she fallen asleep? She looked at the puppy on her lap who was nestled tightly to her, she smiled softly, "Do you think we can trust him? Do you think he'll be our friend?"  
The brown puppy looked up at her, and started wagging its tail. She could tell it was happy.

She even caught herself smiling.

"So, you TALK to animals to? I guess that makes sense, you're probably closer to one anyway!"

Kaede quickly jumped to her feet and looked around for the source of the voice. Two boys walked into the clearing, followed by the girl that, earlier this morning, promised that she was her friend.  
Kaede got up, and began to walk away, only to walk into the third. She tried to turn around, but before she could, the boy behind her had grabbed her by the arms, and was holding her.  
The little puppy that was in her arms, fell to the ground. The puppy began to bark at the boys, trying to be as threatening as possible.

"Well, look what we have here. A half-starved little mutt." The boy reached down for the puppy to grab it. The growling pup attempted to stand it's ground, and bit the assailing appendage.

The boy reeled back in pain! "You little shit!" Anger now fuelling the kids ambitions, he kicked the animal as hard as he could. The puppy was sent yelping through the air, and hit the ground hard.  
Kaede struggled against her captor, "Quit it! Please, stop!"  
The boy smirked at her begging, and began to walk to the shaking and stunned pup, "Stop what?" He looked down at the cowering creature, "Stop THIS!?" Again, he kicked the creature as hard as he could sending the puppy sprawling on the ground, the other boy who was closer to it followed suit, and kicked it with as much strength that he could muster, the little brown pup was sent tumbling across the ground, coming to a stop by the tree. The puppy was now laying nearly motionless, letting out tiny whimpers of pain.  
Kaede was fighting the tears, "This can't be happening" she said to herself, "This can't be happening."

One of the boys laughed, "This is WAY more fun than anything we could do to her!" He surveyed his surroundings, and picked up a decent sized rock. "Hold it down!"  
The boy began to advance on the dog as Kaede looked helplessly onward.

**Authors note: I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! This time, I'm here to stay! Had a LOT going on with multiple relocations, and deaths in the family, that this story took a serious back burner.  
However, now that I have graduated, have full internet access, and have some fingers that are really ready to get a make some music (or stories in this case.)  
I know that I am a little rusty, but I wanted to get this party rockin! I know that some of my loyal fans may have lost some faith in me, but this is my promise now: I will have at least two chapters a month from now on, until completion.  
But the proof is in the pudding, so let's get some pudding!**

_Next Chapter: Fate  
Some things are meant to be. _


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